BC Hydro installs 30 electric car charging stations in the province

BC Hydro has finished its pilot project to install 30 direct current (DC) fast-charging stations for electric vehicles throughout the province.

Construction of the last station, located in Vernon, was completed this month.

“British Columbia is one of the best places to own and drive an electric vehicle,” said Eric Foster, MLA for Vernon-Monashee. “Last year, more than 98 per cent of the electricity generated in the province was from clean or renewable resources and it’s this clean electricity that makes switching to an electric vehicle a practical and sustainable choice.”

The charging stations can charge an electric vehicle’s battery to 80 per cent in half an hour. BC Hydro has been installing the stations since 2012 with support from both the provincial and federal governments.

“The DC fast-charging stations are key components in meeting our goals of being a sustainable community and ensuring we meet the growing demand for electric vehicles in our city and in the province,” Vernon Mayor Mayor Akbal Mund said.

The 30 fast-charging stations are scattered throughout the Lower Mainland, Merritt, Kamloops, Whistler, Vancouver Island and the Southern Interior.

It is estimated that 300,000 electric vehicles will be on the road in B.C. by 2030.

According to a release from the Government of B.C., electric vehicle owners can save $1,600 per year on fuel costs.